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Asian Voice - Saturday 12th February 2011
Opening of Eden Plaza (Kensington) Hotel December 10th, 2010 was a very special and memorable occasion for Mansoor Popat and Family. Their Flagship Hotel – Eden Plaza – was re-opened after undergoing an extensive refurbishment programme. The Hotel is located opposite The Natural History Museum within walking distance from South Kensington underground station and within commuting distance from Heathrow.
In his speech, The Mayor praised the entrepreneurial skills and business acumen of Asians with businesses in UK and in particular in his Borough. He thanked the Popat’s for inviting him to inaugurate this prominently located Hotel.
(From Left to right) KENSINGTON & CHELSEA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VICE PRESIDENT MR. MALCOLM SPALDING, MANSOOR POPAT
From Gujarat to UK, via East Africa
(From left to right) C.B PATEL, ABID POPAT, THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR COUNCILLOR JAMES HUSBAND, PRESIDENT AMIN MAWJI, MANSOOR POPAT, PRESIDENTBANU GULNAR MAWJI, NAZIRA POPAT.
Popat families roots are in Gujarat India and thereafter East Africa. Originally, the Popat family hail from Porbandar in Gujarat India. Mansoor’s grand-father Mr. Popat Premji was born in Jamnagar, India. He went to Kenya as a literate man of his times. He joined the pioneer group of Alidina Visram as an
The Hotel was officially opened by The Worshipful The Mayor of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in presence of many Business, Community, friends, relations and other dignitaries, including Editor & Publisher of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Mr. C.B. Patel, who is also a family friend. CB was accom-
(From left to right) C.B PATEL, THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR COUNCILLOR JAMES HUSBAND, HARSHAD KOTHARI
(From left to right) NAZIRA POPAT, MANSOOR POPAT, ABID POPAT, THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR COUNCILLOR JAMES HUSBAND.
panied by Alka Shah, Marketing Manager of ABPL Group. Some close acquaintances flew in from Canada especially for this auspicious occasion. Kensington & Chelsea Chamber of Commerce was represented by Vice President Mr. Malcolm Spalding and Executive Manager Julia Walker-Smith.
accountant for the Group’s Kisumu Branch. He went back to India and was recruited by Bhatia Brothers Group as their Manager for the Musoma office (then in Tanganyika), while his son Alibhai, started his own business in Kinesi, Lake Victoria, Tanganyika. After retiring from Bhatia Brothers, he joined his son POPAT PREMJI Alibhai in his businesses in Tarime and Musoma. He died at the age of 85 in Musoma in 1963. Mr. Popat Premji was a respectable member of the community and had guided a number of prominent entrepreneurs to migrate and establish in East Africa. Alibhai Popat’s sons, Mr. Mansoor Popat and Salim arrived in the United Kingdom ALIBHAI POPAT from Tanzania in 1974.
Mansoor opened a boutique in Kensington selling jeans. In 1984 he bought his first Hotel in Victoria and has since been an active entrepreneur owning many hotels and other investment properties throughout the UK. Mansoor Popat and his son Abid Popat (BSc Economics, MSc Management and MANSOOR POPAT WITH PRIME Finance) have a MINISTER – DAVID CAMERON AT ANOTHER EVENT vision to actively expand the hotel business and provide up-market 3 star business and tourist hotel facilities, like the recently refurbished Eden Plaza Kensington Hotel. The Eden Plaza Kensington Hotel was acquired five years ago and required modernization. The refurbishment commenced in November 2009 and took 12 months to complete. All 80 rooms are now equipped to a high standard, with air-conditioning throughout and
(From left to right) SALIM POPAT, C.B PATEL, ABID POPAT, THE WORSHIPFUL THE MAYOR COUNCILLOR JAMES HUSBAND, PRESIDENT AMIN MAWJI, DEAN SUNDERJI, MANSOOR POPAT, HARSHAD KOTHARI, ALKA SHAH.
satellite television and WiFi available to all guests. The Hotel has been rated 7.5 recently reviewed by Booking.com, being the National Agency for booking the rooms. Mr. Popat and his family reside in North London. He is an active member of the community at the Ismaili Centre in South Kensington and undertakes a considerable amount of charitable work. He is also an active Philanthropist. Mansoor is fully supported by his wife Nazira. MANSOOR POPAT WITH PRINCE CHARLES AT ST. JAMES’ PALACE
Eden Plaza Kensington 68-69 Queens Gate, London SW7 5JT - U.K Tel: +44 (0)20 7370 6111 Fax: +44 (0)20 7370 0932 E-mail: stay@edenplazakensington.co.uk www.edenplazakensington.co.uk